


Sherlock's Identity

by PhoenixHolmes



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Harry Potter - Fandom, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Crossover, John is a retired Auror, M/M, Sherlock is a Time Lord, mention of drug usage, sherlock becomes a sort of addict
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-09
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-20 13:16:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2430200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixHolmes/pseuds/PhoenixHolmes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There aren't many Time Lords left in the universe after the Time War.<br/>So when someone threatens to kill one of the last ones, he must go into hiding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Everyone murmured excitedly when a picture flashed up on a screen for them all to see.

 

"This, my fellow hunters, is a Time Lord, one of the last ones in existence. Your task is to hunt him down and kill him, because as we all know, killing a Time Lord leads to the killer gaining his immortality and his knowledge, which is quite substantial. I myself met this Time Lord after the Ninth Annual meeting on Titan, although I confess that at the time I didn't know his species" the infamous Crime Lord gestured to the image again. "He isn't travelling alone, but your task is to ONLY kill this one, clear?"

 

"Yes sir" everyone chorused. 

 

"Good. As you know, they possess a time machine known as a TARDIS. Because of this they could be anywhere in time and space, so I'm giving you all these" he handed them each a device designed to be worn on the wrist. "Vortex Manipulators. Be careful with them, I went to a lot of trouble to get these" he watched them all scramble to put the devices on. "Now we're set, we'll begin. Happy hunting guys"


	2. Chapter 2

"Mycroft?"

"Yeah?" Mycroft asked, fiddling with his watch. "Damn watch is playing up again" he shook his wrist.

"Stop fussing about your watch, would you? There's a guy that's been following us for three hours" Sherlock glanced over his shoulder. "In the hat"

Mycroft looked at the man his brother had pointed out, and his eyes narrowed.

"Are you sure? You didn't want to take me out, you probably just want to go"

"No, I'm serious" Sherlock's eyes narrowed as the man drew a gun, and Mycroft's eyes widened and he shoved Sherlock to the ground as a shot rang out. "Have I got someone trying to murder me?" He muttered as Mycroft ran across and tackled the man down with Sherlock beside him.

"What the hell are you doing, trying to shoot my brother?" He demanded, and Sherlock stared at the man, fascinated. 

"He's human, My" he murmured. "What would a human be doing on Lanyard with a vortex manipulator?"

"This is an illegal possession for a human" Mycroft muttered, wrenching the device from his wrist. "Tell me why you were trying to kill my brother and why you have an illegal device or I go to the Shadow Proclamation"

"We... We... We were sent... T-to k-kill him..." The man stared at Sherlock fearfully, who tilted his head to the side, interested.

"Why?" Mycroft demanded, and when the man didn't answer straight away he shook his shoulders.

"He's a Time Lord, if we kill him we get immortality and his knowledge"

"No you don't" Sherlock replied. "That's a stupid rumour. How many of you are there?"

"F-five" the man mumbled. "But Robert and Pete went silent so I think they're dead... And Tom's vortex manipulator broke"

"And the fifth?"

"The leader, he'll kill me because I told you this"

"His name?" Mycroft asked.

"Magnussen" he whimpered, and Sherlock's eyes widened in surprise.

"The crime lord?" Mycroft asked and the man nodded. Mycroft stood and grabbed Sherlock's arm, dragging him back to Sherlock's TARDIS, shoving him inside.

"Is that it? Its your birthday" Sherlock muttered.

"Sherlock, a vicious crime lord wants you dead, we're leaving" he fiddled with the controls and Sherlock smacked him away.

"My TARDIS, hands off"

"Sherlock I am perfectly capable-"

"Doesn't mean I want you flying my TARDIS" Sherlock snapped. "Where are we going?"

"Take me home"

"Be more specific" 

"Earth, London, 2010" Mycroft replied. "You need to hide. This Magnussen will no doubt be tracking the residual artron energy"

"Well I'll drop you home and go again, keep time hopping"

"No, Sherlock, that won't fool him. You'll still be traceable. You're staying on Earth with me"

"He'll be able to detect a Time Lord, and he knows who I am-"

"WHAT?" Mycroft demanded. 

"He ran into me outside that meeting on Titan" Sherlock muttered. "So if he can trace Time Lord DNA, he'll detect you and not me"

"Why not you?" Mycroft asked, and Sherlock sighed, reaching into his inside blazer pocket and pulled out a pocket watch. "You're not serious..." 

"You want me to hide, and to be honest, it can't be that bad as a human" Sherlock replied, pulling down the device and sticking the pocket watch into it.

"If you're sure about this..." Mycroft typed in the controls.

"Wait" Sherlock muttered, pulling out a box with his name engraved on the lid from under the console. He grabbed a sheet of paper and scribbled a message in Gallifreyan, leaving it in the box with his sonic screwdriver and TARDIS key. He shut the box and held it out to Mycroft.

"Give this to me when I turn back" he murmured, and Mycroft nodded. "The TARDIS will lock itself when you leave, keep her safe"

"Of course" Mycroft smiled at his brother. "I'll keep you safe as well, get someone to keep an eye on you"

"Right" Sherlock looked at the device and reached out and hugged his brother.

"You'll be safe, brother mine, I promise. I'll deal with Magnussen"

"I know" Sherlock pulled back and took a deep breath before lowering the device onto his head.

"Good luck, Sherlock"

"See you soon My" Sherlock gave a small smile as Mycroft flicked the switch, and he cringed at the sound of Sherlock's screams as his DNA turned from Time Lord to human...


	3. Chapter 3

John Watson, retired Auror, looked down at the sheet of paper telling him to come to this warehouse, and looked up at the front of the warehouse. He shoved the paper in his pocket and pulled out his wand, readying himself for the potential that he would have to fight and that this was a trap. His Auror mind saw nearly everything as a trap these days. He pushed his way inside, holding his wand aloft, his gaze flitting over everything in the warehouse. His gaze fell on a tall figure leaning casually against an umbrella.

"Put the wand away, Mr Watson, I'm not going to hurt you" he spoke softly, and with his heart hammering, John put his want back in his pocket, making sure he could grab it again quickly if needed.

"What do you want?" He asked gruffly.

"To offer you an employment opportunity"

"What could a muggle want with me? And how the hell did you find my name?"

"I'm not a muggle, Mr Watson. My name is Mycroft Holmes, and I'm a Time Lord"

"What does that mean?" John asked, curious despite the situation.

"I'm not human, Mr Watson. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kastaberous. My planet crashed and burned in a war long ago, and there are but a few   
of us left now" 

"And what does this mean to me? I'm sorry about the war, I've lived through that myself"

"I'm aware of that, but I need a bodyguard" Mycroft replied.

"What for?" 

"Not for myself, you understand, for my brother" Mycroft added quickly.

"Your brother?" John asked, still interested.

"Yes. His name is Sherlock Holmes, he's like me, a Time Lord, but he's being hunted by a wanted criminal. In order to hide he has used a special device that rewrites his DNA and memories to become human to hide from this criminal. I am... Concerned... About him" 

"Why? If he's human he's hidden, right?" 

"Yes... But he's not looking after himself, he had no idea what he was doing. He's currently in a drug den getting as high as the sky"

"I see" John murmured. "Why?"

"Told him to hide somewhere, just unfortunate he chose there" Mycroft sighed. "I've got you both a flat, which you can move in, and he will move in after rehab. If you agree, we'll go and collect him from the crack den now"

"Probably best before he overdoses or something"

"Indeed, he won't recover like he would if he was still a Time Lord" Mycroft led the way out to a sleek black car parked outside that John hadn't seen when he arrived. "In you get"

"Just so you know, any funny business and I will curse you"

"I know" Mycroft chuckled. "Your Minister for Magic recommended you personally. He and I, ah, have an understanding about what I am"

"Right" John muttered as the car drove them to what looked like an old abandoned house. The drug den, which was crumbling in places and for a second John felt a well of sympathy towards anyone who came here looking for an escape.


	4. Chapter 4

"If you could just wait here for us, Harold, it would be much appreciated" Mycroft smiled, and the driver nodded.

"Yes sir" he replied as they climbed out the car and John's hand twitched towards his wand.

"Don't, John, they're just a bunch of addicts. Not as bad as some of the ones you've dealt with"

"Right" John followed him inside, peering around curiously, his nose wrinkling at the smell. Several people with sunken eyes peered up at them, and Mycroft led John up the stairs into a back room and over to the corner where a figure was curled on a dirty mattress facing the wall.

"I found him earlier" Mycroft muttered, and John crouched down and gently shook his shoulder.

"Whatdya want?" He grunted, rolling over, his bloodshot eyes catching on Mycroft. "Hello bro"

"Brother mine, this is John" he gestured to John still crouched beside him.

"'Lo John. 'M Sherl"

"Sherlock, come on, time to go" Mycroft sighed, and Sherlock blinked at him.

"Where?" He asked.

"Somewhere safe" John murmured. "You're not well"

"'M fine"

"No you're not" John sighed, guiding Sherlock to his feet. "Come on Sherlock" 

Sherlock leaned on John's shoulders, staggering slightly back out to the car.

"In you get" John helped him in the back whilst Mycroft climbed in the front and spoke to the driver.

"You're John?" Sherlock asked.

"Yes, I am"

"Do I know you?"

"No, this is the first time we've met" John sighed, glancing at Sherlock. John had to admit that looking at him, it was impossible to tell he was a Time Lord. Maybe he had chosen a good place to hide even if it wasn't really legal or healthy.

"John where are we going?" He asked. 

"Somewhere safe" John replied, not sure how else to describe rehab.

"I feel sick" Sherlock groaned, hunching in his seat and clutching his stomach. Mycroft threw a carrier bag at John.

"Be sick in there please. Not far until-" the rest of his words were drowned out by Sherlock throwing up in the carrier bag John was holding. Sherlock took the bag, and John gently smoothed his back gently.

"It's alright" he murmured. "Not far now"

"Ungh" Sherlock moaned as the car stopped. "Are we there yet?"

"Yes, come on" John took Sherlock's arm, guiding him from the car and prising the bag from him and putting it in the bin. He led Sherlock inside, followed by Mycroft and up to the desk.

"We'd like to book my brother in please" Mycroft gestured to Sherlock, who gave a half-hearted wave.

"'M Sherl"

"Sherlock Holmes" Mycroft added quickly.

"This is John" Sherlock waved at John. "He's nice"

"This way Mr Holmes" they led Sherlock down a corridor and up some stairs and ushered him into a bedroom. "This will be your room, we'll get you booked in for a medical tomorrow"

"'Kay" Sherlock mumbled, still not really sure what was happening. He sat on the bed, and Mycroft left.

"I'll see you soon, Sherlock, okay?" John smiled and turned away, causing Sherlock to whine.

"Don't leave me" he whined.

"I can't stay Sherlock" John glanced at the woman. 

"Sorry Mr Holmes he can't stay"

"Please?"

"He can visit in the afternoons" she sighed. "That's it"

"I'll see you tomorrow Sherlock" John lightly ruffled the matted curls. "Be good"

"Bye" Sherlock looked at the floor, hanging his head sadly, and it twisted John's heart to see him so sad even though he had only just met him.


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm here to see Sherlock Holmes?" John asked the next afternoon, and he was led to a recreation room where Sherlock was slumped in a chair, his arms folded. He was dressed like the others in a plain white uniform, and looked up when John approached, brightening instantly.

"Hey Sherlock" John grinned, sitting down beside him. "You okay?"

"Bored" Sherlock muttered. "When can I go home?"

"Not yet, you've been ill"

"I'm not stupid, this is drug rehab. You think I'm an addict" Sherlock looked amused. "I'm not though"

"If you say so" John sighed.

"Do I know you?"

"We met yesterday" John replied. "Your brother thought we'd get along"

"I do like you, you're nice and kind" Sherlock sighed. 

"So are you" John smiled. "Your brother's sorting some paperwork to get us a flat for when you're let out"

"Together?"

"Yes" John smiled. "If you'd like that, of course"

"I would" Sherlock murmured. "Thank you" he hugged John gently, and John couldn't help but notice Sherlock smelt nicer now he'd had a shower and washed his hair.  
"It's going to be alright, Sherlock" John murmured.

 

That night, Sherlock had a dream.

He was stood in a cavernous room in the centre of which was a set of controls and a gleaming glass column. He blinked at the controls and reached out to touch them when a familiar voice spoke.

"Be careful brother, try not to crash" Mycroft's voice spoke from behind him, and he turned to see his brother stood by the doors.

"What-" he started to say when the world faded and Sherlock sat bolt upright in his room in the rehab centre. He fumbled for the lamp and picked up the book he was meant to use as a diary and opened it. Instead of writing about his dream, he sketched what he had seen instead, the tall glass column and the controls. He stared at his drawing, wondering if it was somewhere he had been or if it was just his imagination. He closed the book and switched off the light, laying down and closing his eyes again. Almost at one another image flickered before his eyes, a pocket watch engraved with strange circular symbols. A voice spoke as well as he ran the watch through his fingers.

"Look after it young Sherlock, it could save your life"

The image faded, and Sherlock sat up again, hugging his knees, before sketching out the watch and writing the words he had heard beside it.

 

John looked up when Mycroft arrived carrying a box.

"Hello John. I heard you went to visit him yesterday, how was he?"

"He was in a good mood and he wants to move in with me when he's let out" John replied as Mycroft sat opposite him.

"Good. I have some things of his that you need to give him when, and only when, he returns to being a Time Lord" he pulled out the pocket watch. "This is the most important of all. This contains all of his Time Lord DNA that will change him back to who he was. He must not find or open it before I send the message to say he can. Guard this with your life" he handed the watch to John, who nodded, twisting the watch through his fingers.

"And this" Mycroft handed over the box. "Not as important, except to him. Only he can open it when he's back to himself. Inside is whatever trinkets he wanted to keep safe" he sighed. "The box is indestructible"

"Its made of wood" John felt the need to point out. 

"Its specially treated" he watched John examine the lid. "Keep them safe for him, especially the watch"

"I will. I'll probably go and see him again tomorrow" John sighed. "He's a nice guy"

"Wait until he's not high, he'll be an arrogant sod" Mycroft chuckled. "I do love him though he's my little brother"

"He'll be safe with me" John examined the watch and tucked it in his pocket safely.


	6. Chapter 6

"John!" Sherlock called when John arrived the next day, running forward and hugging him tightly.

"Hey, hey, Sherlock, what's wrong?" John asked, patting his back.

"I have something to show you" he grabbed John's arm and dragged him through the rehab center to his room.

"This is your room?"

"Yes" Sherlock replied, pulling out a plain leather bound book intended for the guests to write down their feelings. He handed it to John, watching him.

"Are you sure you want me to read this?" John asked.

"I haven't written much. I want you to see" Sherlock watched him open the book to see the first drawing of the cavernous room with a set of controls. 

"Wow you're really good at drawing"

"Thanks" Sherlock watched him turn the page, and John stiffened slightly at the sight of a perfect drawing of the pocket watch Mycroft had given him to look after.

"Wow, Sherlock" he smiled. "Do you know what this is?"

"A pocket watch, I'm not stupid. There wasn't one in my pocket when I came here. Do I have a pocket watch?"

"Not that I know of" John replied carefully. 

"Oh" Sherlock sounded disappointed. "It looks special"

"It does" John agreed. "Such a unique pattern" he turned the page to see the sketch of a slim pen like device. "What's this then?"

"I'm not sure" Sherlock frowned. "I saw it in a dream like the watch"

"Looks interesting, Sherlock, you're really good at drawing" John handed the book back. 

"Thank you" Sherlock put the book back. "How long will I be here?"

"Couple of months"

"Its so boring though" Sherlock whined. 

"I know Sherlock" John patted his shoulder. "I promise you though, when you're let out, you will be happier"

"With you?"

"Yes" John replied. "I'm your friend, Sherlock, always will be"

"I only met you two days ago" Sherlock sighed. "Tell me about yourself'"

"What?" John asked. 

"Anything" Sherlock blinked at him with wide eyes. 

"Well, I went to a boarding school from when I was eleven till I was eighteen" John replied. "Then I trained to become a doctor"

"Oh. You're only my friend to analyze me" Sherlock hung his head.

"No, Sherlock, I am your friend, always will be" John replied. "I wouldn't lie to you"

"Promise?" Sherlock asked.

"I promise" John murmured, feeling a twinge at the lie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay in updating!


	7. Chapter 7

Two months later and John tripped over his foot as the phone rang.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Hello is this John Watson?"

"Yes" John replied nervously.

"This is the Phoenix, the rehab centre. You've been assigned as one of our patients’ first contact, a Mr Sherlock Holmes"

"Yes, he's my friend. Is something wrong?" John asked anxiously.

"No, he's absolutely fine, ready to go home"

"That's brilliant news, I'm on my way" John put the phone down and pulled on his shoes and jacket. After hailing a cab he dialled Mycroft's number.

"Yes, John?"

"I just got a call from the rehab centre, I'm on my way to pick him up"

"That's excellent news. I'll be waiting for you when you get home" Mycroft replied.

"Alright" John sighed.

"Good luck" Mycroft sighed as well.

"Thanks" John ended the call as the taxi pulled up outside the rehab centre. "Thank you. Could you wait here for me? I'm only picking someone up, I'll be as quick as I can"

"Sure" the cabbie replied as John scrambled out and headed into the centre and up to the desk.

"Hello Mr Watson. Here to pick up Mr Holmes?" The woman asked.

"Yeah I am" John replied as the door flew open and Sherlock ran in and threw his arms around John, hugging him tightly.

"John!" He cried, and John laughed, patting his back. 

"Hey Sherlock. Ready to go?" John asked, and Sherlock nodded, picking up the small gym bag he had dropped to hug John.

"Thank you for your help I feel a lot better" he murmured politely.

"No problem, Mr Holmes. Any time you need to come back, please do"

"I hope I don't but okay" Sherlock followed John back out to the taxi and scrambled inside. "Where are we going John?" Sherlock asked.

"221b Baker Street, thanks" John spoke to the driver, before looking at Sherlock. "Your brother will be there when we get back"

"I don't think he likes me. He never came to visit me" Sherlock hung his head.

"He loves you Sherlock, you have no idea. He never visited because he was busy at work. He's been calling me regularly to see how you are, he really cares"

"Really?" Sherlock asked doubtfully.

"Of course Sherlock" John patted Sherlock's back as they pulled up and John paid the driver. "Thanks"

John helped Sherlock from the taxi, taking his bag and leading the way up to the front door. Sherlock followed him inside, looking around curiously. 

"This is our flat?" He asked as John took him upstairs, and John nodded, opening the door and ushering him inside where Mycroft was on the sofa.

"Hello brother mine" he murmured. "Good to see you in full health"

"Thanks" Sherlock shifted awkwardly on his feet, and Mycroft stood, taking Sherlock's shoulders and pushing him into the black leather armchair.

"Sit, Sherlock" he glanced at John, who felt a twinge that the nice rehabilitated Sherlock was about to become abruptly obnoxious. It had taken him awhile to agree to Mycroft's plan that Sherlock should forget his time as a drug addict to prevent him from relapsing. According to Mycroft, Sherlock would be similar to his true Time Lord self, stuck in the body of a human. Apparently he would be obnoxious, rude, smart and with only a shred of caring inside him. 

"What?" Sherlock asked, his gaze moving from Mycroft to John. "John?"

"Just relax, Sherlock" Mycroft crouched down and reached out and touched the sides of Sherlock's head, closing his eyes. Sherlock looked up at John fearfully before he slumped over unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am soooooooo sorry for the delay in updating... I promise to update in the next few days...  
> Thanks for all the kudos - keep them coming :)


	8. Chapter 8

Sherlock Holmes twisted the small pocket watch over and over in his hands.  
It had been a long time since he had ever been intrigued by something so small. He was curious about the markings, how old it was and where it had come from. But above all, he was most curious about why John had kept it locked in his desk drawer.  
The locked drawer had been bothering Sherlock for weeks, because he didn’t see what John needed to hide from him. And so, when John had gone to the shops, he had seized his chance and picked the lock. He had been slightly disappointed at the contents, which had turned out to be a collection of photos of John’s family in an album, some letters from his sister, a slim wooden stick (which had hummed and felt warm to Sherlock’s hand when he had picked it up) and this pocket watch, which in Sherlock’s mind was more intriguing than the stick that clearly possessed special properties. He ran his thumb over the watch again, feeling the engraved markings. He wondered what they meant. They were clearly a different kind of language, and it struck him that they might not be from Earth at all. He pushed the idea out of his mind quickly. It was impossible for the watch to have come from anywhere other than some jeweller’s, right?  
Still, he wondered.

John came home to find Sherlock crouched on the floor beside the bottom drawer of John’s desk, which was open. John stepped forward to see what Sherlock was holding.  
“What do you think you’re doing, going through my desk?” he demanded. Sherlock grunted.  
“It was bothering me. I wanted to know what you wanted to keep locked up away from me” he replied, still twisting the pocket watch over in his hands. The movement caught John’s attention, and he paled. Of course, out of all the objects in the drawer, it would have to be the watch that caught the consulting detective’s attention.  
“Put that back” he said, his voice shaking slightly. Sherlock ignored him, continuing to examine the watch carefully. “I said put it back”  
“I heard you. I’m just choosing to ignore you” Sherlock replied. A sudden thought occurred to John, and he paled even more.  
“You... you didn’t open it, did you?” he asked uncertainly. Sherlock looked up at that.  
“No, I haven’t opened it yet. Why? Is there something inside?”  
“Um... yes” John mumbled, knowing there was no point in lying.  
“Something important, I presume? You’ve gone very pale and seemed panicked at the thought I had opened it”  
“Yes, something important. Something very important”  
“Are you going to tell me what it is, or am I going to have to open it and find out?”  
“No! Don’t open it yet! You... you aren’t ready! I’m not ready!”  
“Ready for what? And I think it is my place to decide when I am ready for something rather than yours. Is it hollow, perhaps, containing the key to your secret porn collection?”  
“I don’t have a porn collection, Sherlock, you know that”  
“I know, I’m just teasing you. I can tell by the weight of it that it’s not hollow. It’s a pocket watch, yes, with an actual clock face inside. But there’s something else in there as well that you want to hide from me. The question is, what?” Sherlock mused, looking back down at the watch. John saw his fingers brush against the catch on the side, and he darted forward, pulling the slim wooden stick from the open drawer and pointing it at Sherlock.  
“Put the watch back. You are not ready. It’s not safe to open it yet, and unless you do as I say, I will force you”  
“Force me with what? Your stick?” Sherlock snorted with laughter at the idea, causing John to sigh.  
“Yes, with this. It’s not a stick, you daft dimbo. Surely you’ve worked that out by now?”  
“Well, when I touched it earlier, it was warm and seemed to hum slightly. I’m now going to make a guess based on this observation”  
“And your guess is what?” John asked, still pointing the ‘stick’ at Sherlock.  
“My guess is that you have lied to me for the past year. You possess what is clearly a magic wand, and that you are, in fact, a wizard, who is a damn good liar” Sherlock replied, and John sighed, lowering the wand slightly.  
“Yes, you’re right, I am a wizard and I lied to you. I’m sorry, but those were my instructions. I did it to protect you. I’m still protecting you. Now put the watch back please, and don’t whatever you do, open it”  
“Is the watch dangerous?” Sherlock asked, turning away and placing the watch back in the drawer carefully. John relaxed as soon as it was out of his hands.  
“In the wrong hands, most definitely, yes”  
“And I’m the wrong hands?”  
“No, no, quite the opposite. But if you open it, you will be in great danger”  
“Right, thanks” Sherlock stood, watching John crouch down and tap the lock on the drawer with his wand.  
“There. No more lock picking please” he said, straightening and sliding the wand into the inside pocket of his jacket. Sherlock was watching him closely, and John sighed.  
“I suppose you want to know what else I’ve lied to you about” he said quietly, and Sherlock nodded, settling himself into his armchair and watching as John sat down opposite.  
“I’ve pretty much lied to you about my whole life, Sherlock, I’m sorry. I didn’t go to a grammar school. I went to a wizard school called Hogwarts. After school I didn’t go into medicine really. I did some medicinal training as a wizard, and it just happens that some of the methods can be applied to normal people, who we call muggles. I then went into Auror training, which is basically training to capture dark wizards. I was diploid to Afghanistan, but my mission was to capture a dark wizard. Unfortunately, I was shot in the process, and only after I returned to my work in London as an Auror did your name reach my ears”  
“And why would my name bear any importance in your world?”  
“It shouldn’t, normally, but considering who you are it is no surprise. I was hired to look after you”  
“By whom?”  
“Your brother, of course. You remember the first time you met me?”  
“It seems I shall be having a talk with my dear brother about this. And of course I remember. It was in Bart’s lab, and you came limping in with Mike Stamford”  
“Do not talk to your brother until you have heard the whole story. And we did not meet in Bart’s hospital. That was all a lie, planted in your mind to remove the truth”  
“Then what is the truth? Or are you under some oath to not tell me about my own life?”  
“No, I can tell you. Mycroft took me to meet you where you had been hiding in a drug den with a bunch of homeless drug addicts. You hadn’t been there long, but the fact you had chosen to hide yourself there was worrying your brother. We took you out, got you cleaned up, stuck you in rehab for a few months. When you recovered you moved in here, and we planted the memory of us meeting at Bart’s in your mind, and erased the truth from you”  
“I see. I suppose that is why Lestrade always insists on conducting drug busts in my flat? Because I once ended up in rehab for an addiction I will never remember?”  
“Yes, that’s why. There are only four people in the world that know the truth about you, Sherlock. And you are not one of them”  
“What the hell? So everyone knows about my life, knows the truth, except for me? How can I not know my own life?” Sherlock demanded.  
“You do not know because it was safer for you to forget. And like I said, only four people know the truth. And you will know, one day, hopefully soon, when the threat has been eliminated”  
“Who are these four people?”  
“One of them is me, obviously. Another is your brother, again, obviously. The third is Lestrade, who Mycroft deemed as trustworthy and reliable. The fourth is Mrs Hudson”  
“Mrs Hudson knows?”  
“Of course she does. She knows exactly who lives up here”  
“What about the threat?”  
“Will soon be dealt with. I did not just go to the shops. I was picked up by Mycroft, who had captured the aforementioned threat. This threat will be eliminated within the week, and then I promise you, you will learn the truth. In the mean time, try and forget about it”  
“Forget about the fact my whole life is one great big lie with you, my brother, my landlady and a police inspector at the heart of it laughing at my ignorance?”  
“Yes, that. I can always make you forget, if you like” John smirked, pulling out the wand again and twisting it through his fingers.  
“Don’t you dare cast some sort of spell on me again” Sherlock said quietly, his eyes on the wand, watching apprehensively.  
“Don’t worry, I won’t. And you aren’t the only one looking forward to the day the threat is dealt with. I never actually met the real you”  
“Real me? What am I, imaginary? Is my name really Sherlock Holmes, or is that a lie as well?”  
“No, that bits true. Your name is Sherlock Holmes. The rest of it, your past, what you think you remember, is not”  
“So I’m not a consulting detective?” Sherlock pouted, saddened at the thought that his career might be fake.  
“You are a consulting detective, much to your brother’s annoyance. The idea was to keep you hidden and out of the public eye, not in the papers every week for solving murders. It took a great deal of work to cover that up as much as possible, but your career does have its uses. Sherlock Holmes the consulting detective is a perfect smokescreen to conceal your true identity”  
“Which only four people know, none of which happen to actually be me” Sherlock muttered.  
“You’re catching on quick. I promise though, Sherlock, that as soon as possible, you will learn the truth”  
“Does that mean you really are my best friend? You didn’t cast some spell on me to make me your friend?”  
“I would never do that, Sherlock. That is one of the few things I have never lied about. I am your best friend, and I will always be here for you”

Tap. Tap. Tap.  
John was woken by a consistent tapping sound on his bedroom window. He stumbled across the room and opened the curtains to see his owl perched on the window sill outside, looking up at him with inquisitive eyes. John smiled and opened the window, and the owl soared into the room over to the open cage in the corner, hooting quietly. John stepped forward and ran his fingers across the bird’s feathers, and the owl held out his leg, to which a scroll was attached.   
“Straight down to business, then? You don’t change, eh, Thracius?” John chuckled as he detached the scroll. Thracius the owl hooted loudly as though to tell him to hurry up.  
“Keep your voice down! Sherlock will hear and there will be trouble” John hissed, finally succeeding in detaching the scroll and opening it.  
John,  
The threat has been eliminated. It is time for Sherlock to open the watch. You must stay with him. This is an important step and he will need you with him to cope with it.   
His memories will come back, and his behaviour may change slightly, but do not panic. That is normal, and he will still be the same Sherlock, just slightly different from before.  
Contact me if there are any problems  
MH  
John sighed, feeling a slightly twinge of excitement at getting to meet the real Sherlock rather than the one he lived with at the moment. John had stopped stroking Thracius, who had gotten impatient and nipped his finger. He jumped and looked from his bleeding finger to his owl, who stared back at him.  
“What was that for? I haven’t got anything to reply to this, so you can go back out if you want”  
Thracius gave him a look, and hooted loudly. John realised what the bird was trying to say, and laughed, running his hand gently over the smooth feathers and holding out an owl treat.  
“You know me so well, Thracius. I’d better be going. I’ll leave the window open for you if you want to go for a flight” he said, putting the scroll away and opening the door, heading downstairs. Sherlock was typing on his laptop, crouched in his armchair like an overgrown gargoyle. He looked up when John walked in.  
“Morning John. Did I hear a bird?” he asked.  
“Um, yeah, you did. Thracius, my owl had a letter for me and was being impatient. He reminds me of you, sometimes” John replied, opening the desk drawer and picking up the watch.  
“Right, thanks. I’m being compared to an owl”  
“Not for long you won’t be. The letter was from Mycroft” John said, and Sherlock’s head snapped up as John sat down opposite him.  
“What does he want?”  
“The threat has been eliminated. It’s time” John said quietly, holding out the pocket watch. Sherlock moved his laptop aside, his latest website post forgotten as he reached out and carefully took the watch from John. He turned it over in his hands, staring at it.  
“What now?” he asked. “Are you going to tell me the truth? Is this watch mine, then?”  
“Of course it’s yours. It always has been”  
“Can I hear the truth now then?”   
“Yes, when you open the watch. Your memories will come back, and you will remember everything that you have forgotten”  
“Will it hurt?” the childish question escaped Sherlock’s mouth before he had the chance to stop it, and he cursed himself for asking something so stupid.  
“It might hurt a bit. I don’t know what to expect, really”  
“Right, okay. So all I have to do is open the watch?”  
“Yes. If you’re that worried about it I’ll call Mycroft over here so he can be with you”  
“Absolutely not. I don’t need him. I’m fine” Sherlock snapped. He looked up at John suddenly. “Will this change who I am?”  
“A little. Your memories and some of your behaviours will change, but you’ll still relatively be the same Sherlock”  
“John, if something happens, and I end up changing completely or something, I’m glad I met you. I’m glad you looked after me this past year. I suppose what I’m trying to say is John I-” his finger slipped on the catch of the watch, and it popped open. He looked down in surprise as golden light flowed out of the watch and towards him, flowing inside his mouth, his nostrils, his eyes and his ears, filling him slowly with his true identity, his memories and altering his body systems slightly. John watched, fascinated, trying to ignore the slight twinge he felt that Sherlock had been cut off just before he confessed his love for John. The light continued to enter his friend’s body, and Sherlock’s face twisted to a grimace as the light faded and he slumped down in his chair unconscious, the watch still open in his hand. Now that the watch was empty, John could see it was just a regular watch, showing the time, but he knew that before it had contained the essence of Sherlock Holmes and who he really was. He leaned forward, anxious for his friend.  
“Sherlock?” he asked quietly. Sherlock’s body emitted a faint glow, and his eyes snapped open, blazing bright gold. He blinked, and the light faded, and his eyes, now back to their regular grey, locked onto John crouched beside him.  
“John...” he mumbled, struggling into a sitting position.   
“How are you feeling, Sherlock?” John asked anxiously.  
“I... I... forgive you”  
“For what?”  
“Lying to me... it was for my protection. I understand that now. Thank you”  
“That’s alright”  
“I remember everything... so many planets, so many stars, so many different life forms... I remember it all, my past, my home, you, the threat...”  
“Good to hear”  
“I’m a Time Lord, John” Sherlock breathed, his eyes wide with wonder as he touched first the left side of his chest, and then the right side, feeling his two heartbeats. He beckoned John closer, and took John’s hand, placing it against him so John could feel the two heartbeats, pounding a rhythm of four beats, the strong heartbeat of a Time Lord.  
“That is pretty freaky, I must admit” John said, stepping back again, causing Sherlock to laugh.  
“Oh, I suppose for someone like you it is. It may take me awhile to get used to being me again. I have missed this though. How long was I human? A year? Seems like at least a decade. Oh well. I suppose you already knew”  
“I knew you were a Time Lord, yes. I knew that Time Lords have two hearts. I know you’re immortal. Other than that, I don’t know much”  
“It seems that my brother merely scratched the surface with you. Time Lords have two hearts and are immortal, and we’re from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. In case you’re wondering, I’m two hundred and sixty one years old”  
Two hundred and sixty one, huh? Looking good for that age” John smirked.  
“Thank you. Now, anything else of mine that you’ve got tucked away somewhere?” Sherlock asked, standing and pacing the room, his eyes roaming over everything as John hurried back to his room. Sherlock’s gaze settled on the skull on the mantle, and remembered calling it Billy. He ran his fingers over the top of the skull, and sighed, before lifting it up and touching it with the tip of his tongue. He mulled the flavour over for a moment, and John, who had re-entered the room, snorted.  
“Any particular reason why you’re licking Billy the skull?” he asked. Sherlock set the skull back down and turned to his friend.  
“I can taste how old things are. Billy comes from the future. Exactly two hundred and four years into the future, assuming I am correct that it is the year 2011”  
“Yeah, it’s 2011. No more licking stuff, please, it’s weird” John said, handing over a small wooden box, on which was engraved the same symbols as the watch Sherlock had put into his pocket.  
“Fine. In case you were wondering, because I remember wondering myself when I was human, these symbols spell out my name in Gallifreyan” he said, taking the box and sitting down again with the box resting on his knees. John watched him run his fingers over the box, examining it.  
“I could never open the damn thing. Mycroft told me it was yours and to give it to you when you, as he put it, ‘woke up’ but I was curious. Nothing I tried could open it”  
“That’s because it’s mine, idiot. Only I can open it. Even Mycroft can’t get in here. He shouldn’t need to, though, he has his own box. They were gifts from our parents when we were younger” Sherlock replied, running his fingers along the side of the box where the catch should have been, before gently lifting the lid. John peered across to see what was inside. A slim pen like object with a red tip, a key, and a scroll of paper, which is what Sherlock lifted out first. John peered over his shoulder to see what was written, and was disappointed that it was more of the Gallifreyan symbols that he couldn’t read. Sherlock glanced at him with a smirk.  
“I’ll read it out to you, if you’re that nosy” he said, before clearing his throat and beginning to read.  
“Future me. The threat of the crime lord Magnussen has reached breaking point. He will stop at nothing until I am dead. Therefore I am going into hiding. If you read this note, know that you are safe and the threat has been eliminated. Good luck future me, and may my future be more prosperous than it has been so far. Sherlock Holmes”  
John sighed quietly. He had known, of course, that there was someone threatening Sherlock, hence why he had become human to hide. He wondered what Mycroft had done to the crime lord mentioned in the letter.  
“What do you think happened to Magnussen?” he asked out loud, and Sherlock looked up thoughtfully.  
“Magnussen? I remember Mycroft working hard to capture him, and the fact I have been allowed to return to myself means that he is most likely dead”  
“Oh. Why did he want to kill you?” John asked, feeling a twinge of anger that someone had been threatening his best friend who was under his protection.  
“He had heard that killing a Time Lord means that the killer receives a whole wealth of knowledge and power from said Time Lord. He had been searching for a Time Lord to test this on and had failed because there are not many of us who escaped the Time War alive. It was chance that he bumped into me outside the Ninth Annual meeting on Titan. He knocked me down, and, thinking I was a human who had been invited to the meeting, touched my wrist to take my pulse. The instant he touched me I knew he was the one I had been warned about, and I ran away from him. He’d been following me ever since, and so Mycroft and I journeyed to Earth to hide. Magnussen didn’t want Mycroft, he wanted me. It was my idea to use the Chameleon Arch and the watch to become human, and Mycroft agreed, telling me that the first thing I must do was hide somewhere I wouldn’t be found. This was the last thing I carried over into my life as a human, and I now remember the drug den, and meeting you. It’s a bit blurry, but I think I remember you sitting with me through rehab as well”  
“I did sit with you through rehab. You would kick up such a fuss if I tried to leave, so they let me stay with you. But you’re safe now. Magnussen or Magnussen or whatever his name is has gone, and you are safe”  
“For now, yes. However, trouble always seems to find me” Sherlock mused, running his fingers through his hair with a sigh.  
“Well, it’s a good thing you’ve got me then” John said, and Sherlock laughed.  
“Indeed. Where would I be without my wizard friend?”  
“In the hands of Magnussen, dead, most likely”  
“The question was rhetorical, but never mind. I suppose my brother is going to visit?”  
“Maybe. I don’t know. Maybe we should go and see him?” John suggested, earning a sigh from the Time Lord.  
“Fine. Give me a minute” he said, tucking the pen device, the key and the scroll into his pocket before pulling on his coat, flicking up his collar as he did so.  
“I never understood why you flicked your collar up like that” John remarked, and Sherlock shrugged.  
“Habit. I don’t know why I do it either” he said. “Ready? Got your wand?”  
“Sure. And why do you suddenly care if I’m carrying my wand or not?” John asked as they headed downstairs.  
“Because if we’re attacked, you’re the one meant to be protecting me” Sherlock replied as Mrs Hudson emerged from her flat.   
“Where are you two boys off to then?” she asked.   
“To see my brother. I’m back to myself now” Sherlock said quietly, stepping forward and hugging her. She could feel the two hearts beating strongly, and laughed.  
“Good to hear, Sherlock. Although those hearts... they’re something else entirely”  
“Hmm yes. Anyway, we’d better get going. See you later” Sherlock stepped back and turned towards the door.   
“Keep him out of trouble” Mrs Hudson whispered to John, who laughed.  
“I always do” he replied as Sherlock flung open the door and strode outside, breathing in deeply.  
“Ahh, nice to get some air in these lungs” he muttered as John hailed a taxi.  
“I bet it is. Come on” he replied, shoving Sherlock into the taxi and clambering in after him. Sherlock smiled at John widely.  
“You’re a good friend, John. I’m glad you were the one looking after me”  
“Not a problem. It may also interest you to know that I did it for nothing. Mycroft offered me payment, but I didn’t take it”  
“Of course he offered you payment. He was hiring you to be my bodyguard in a sense. And it doesn’t matter. You’re a good person, John”  
“Thank you”

Sherlock and John were shown into a private room, and were joined a moment later by Mycroft, who smiled widely at his brother.  
“Good to see you again, brother mine” he said, and Sherlock snorted.  
“Yeah, right. You were probably hoping you could leave me stuck as an obnoxious human forever”  
“On the contrary, Sherlock, I was looking forward to the moment when you changed from an obnoxious human back into an even more obnoxious Time Lord” Mycroft replied. “How are you?”  
“I’m better than ever, thanks for asking. I have missed this life”  
“I bet you have”  
“What did you do to Magnussen, then?” Sherlock asked, twisting his now empty pocket watch through his fingers.  
“It took us a long time to capture him. And we simply... dispatched him in the most humane way possible”  
“We? You weren’t working alone then. And how humanely?”  
“Simple bullet wound to the head, dead in a split second. His belongings were burnt in order to prevent several files about yourself falling into the wrong hands”  
“Fair enough. Who do you work with then?” Sherlock asked, just as the door opened and a young man with a long brown fringe flopping into his eyes walked in. Sherlock stood, grinning as he recognized the man.  
“New face again, Doctor? I might have known it would be you that was working with my brother” he said, and the man, the Doctor, laughed.  
“Of course it was me, what did you expect? Someone threatened my little cousin, they pay for it”  
“That doesn’t sound like you. You’re usually against killing anyone or anything, criminal or otherwise”  
“Yeah, but this was a bit more personal. He was threatening my favourite cousin” the Doctor said. Mycroft cleared his throat and raised his eyebrow. “Sorry, Mike, but it’s true. Sherlock is the number one in this case. And who might you be?” the Doctor asked, peering over Sherlock’s shoulder at John, who was stood quietly behind him.  
“Oh, this is my friend and bodyguard John, who looked after me in my time as a human” Sherlock said. “John, this is the Doctor, my older cousin”  
“Hello John. Nice to meet you, and thank you for keeping my cousin out of trouble”  
“No problem”  
“And you’re a wizard as well, I see? Excellent stuff. Mike said he’d hired a top notch bodyguard”  
“Thank you. Sherlock’s safety has always been a priority” John said with a smile. Sherlock winked at him, and turned back to his brother.  
“Well then, brother mine, where is it?”  
“Where’s what?” Mycroft asked innocently.  
“Don’t give me that. My TARDIS. Where is it?”  
“Ah, your TARDIS. Your TARDIS is in a compound, and you are not going anywhere”   
“What, why?” Sherlock demanded.  
“You have to stay here like a good boy and learn to behave. If you hadn’t insisted on going to that sodding meeting, none of this would have happened”  
“Shut up. Of course you would have preferred Magnussen to chase you or the Doctor instead”  
“Well, yes, obviously”  
“Git. I’m fine now, look, Magnussen is gone” Sherlock snapped, turning and striding from the room. John nodded to the two Time Lords and hurried after Sherlock, who he found leaning against the wall outside the building.   
“Sherlock? Are you okay?” John asked, anxiously reaching out and touching his friend’s arm. Sherlock flinched.  
“I’m fine, John”  
“Don’t lie to me”  
“I’m not lying”  
“Yes you are. I’ve got some truth potion that I will force down your throat unless you tell me what it is” John said, earning a sigh from the Time Lord.  
“I doubt you could manage to get me to swallow it. And I’m annoyed at the fact Mycroft doesn’t trust me with my own TARDIS”  
“That’s your spaceship, right?” John asked as they started to walk back up to the main road to catch a taxi.  
“Yeah, it is. Time and Space machine, all mine. I’m half convinced Mycroft is keeping it because he doesn’t have his own”  
“So he’s stealing yours? Bit unfair”  
“Hmm. He’s only keeping it in a compound because he can’t get into it. That’s why I left the key locked in my box”  
“Right. What now?”  
“I return to my detective work, of course. Moriarty’s trial is tomorrow” Sherlock replied as they caught a taxi.  
“You aren’t seriously going to Moriarty’s trial after today?”  
“Why shouldn’t I? I’m still the same person, just... with a lot more memories and two hearts”  
“Yeah, but he’s going to destroy you, remember? He’s going to burn the heart out of you” John reminded him.  
“Doesn’t matter I’ve got a spare” Sherlock replied, patting the right side of his chest.  
“I’m serious, Sherlock, he is going to destroy you”  
“Hmm many people have tried that before... none of them succeeded” Sherlock said as the taxi took them home again.  
“This is Moriarty we’re talking about, Sherlock”  
“Doesn’t matter, John, I know what I’m doing, I’ll be fine, okay?”  
“I still worry about you. I have to keep you safe, remember?”  
“John, I admire how much you are willing to protect me, but tell me, if I were still human would you let me carry on and attend the trial?” Sherlock asked quietly.  
“I don’t know. Maybe”  
“I was even more fragile then than I am now. I will be fine” Sherlock said as they pulled up outside Baker Street. John paid the driver and followed Sherlock inside. Mrs Hudson came bustling out.  
“Oh, Sherlock, there’s a gentleman from the police here to see you” she said, and Sherlock huffed as he bounded upstairs, followed by John. They found Lestrade lounging on the sofa, and Sherlock huffed again.  
“What do you want Gavin?” he asked, flopping n his arm chair.   
“It’s Greg, when are you ever going to remember that?” Lestrade asked.  
“Greg. Whatever. What are you doing in my flat?”  
“I heard someone was back to themselves and wanted to see if it was true”  
“Oh for goodness sake I am not a bloody specimen to be examined all the time! Yes, I’m back to normal. Now get out” Sherlock huffed, earning himself a glare from John.  
“That wasn’t just why I came. I also came to warn you that there will be a lot of press outside your front door tomorrow, so I’ve arranged for a police car to pick you up and take you to the trial”  
“Fine. Whatever”  
“I’d better be going then. Before I do, mind if I take your pulse? I’m curious about this two heart thing” Lestrade said, and Sherlock huffed and allowed the inspector to place two fingers against his neck. He shook his head and stepped back.  
“Weird and yet amazing. See you tomorrow. Try not to be rude” Lestrade said as he walked out the door.  
“I’m not rude, am I, John?” Sherlock asked.  
“Only most of the time. Occasionally you have these moments where you’re incredibly polite and it’s possible to forgive you for anything” John replied.  
“Right, thanks” he rested his head back with a sigh.  
“Something wrong?” John asked.  
“No, no, perfectly fine”  
“Worried about the trial?” John asked.  
“Whatever for? Moriarty’s guilty, he’s going to jail, end of”

“Do you think you could possibly survive for just a few minutes WITHOUT SHOWING OFF?” The judge shouted. Sherlock glanced up at John, watching from the balconies, who shook his head. Sherlock then decided that he didn’t want to stop showing off, so he rattled off all of his deductions about the jury, and was then escorted away by two officers, who shoved him into one cell and Moriarty into another. Sherlock huffed, and rummaged through his pockets for his phone. It was only an hour before he was escorted back to the front desk to be booked out, to find John waiting for him, arms folded.  
“Sorry, John”  
“I told you, we all told you, don’t try and be clever! Don’t be a smart arse! And what do you do? Land yourself in a cell for contempt!” John said, waving his arms around for emphasis as they left.  
“I said I’m sorry, John, what more do you want?”  
“I don’t know, maybe that the guy I have to guard isn’t a complete and utter twat!”  
“I am not a twat”  
“Oh yes you bloody well are. I don’t know why I put up with you” John muttered, shaking his head. Sherlock smirked as they climbed into a taxi.  
“You put up with me because I’m a great person to be around, and also you get paid to stick with me”  
“I don’t actually get paid, but if I quit now Mycroft will kill me”  
“There you go. You like being around me”  
However, the jury concluded Moriarty as not guilty, and he was let free, much to Sherlock’s annoyance. He complained about it daily, and complained that someone in the media industry was printing lies about him. John had managed to track down the person writing the articles, and Sherlock was insisting on going to see her.  
“I want to know where the hell she got all this information about me from” he muttered.  
“Sherlock, a majority of its fake anyway, I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss” John replied.  
“Because this is him, John! This is Moriarty doing this! Trying to ruin me! I don’t care if it’s fake, people believe it and therefore I am loosing cases and I am so bored!” Sherlock shouted.  
“Calm down” John muttered.  
“Don’t tell me to calm down!”  
“I can, and I will, Sherlock! Listen to me!”  
“No! That’s it, I’m going and seeing her now!”  
“Sherlock, it’s four in the morning, you are not going anywhere!”  
“Don’t tell me what to do!”  
“I’ll do what I like, Sherlock! Right now you’re being an annoying bastard”  
“Oh hell no I ain’t!”  
“Sherlock Holmes, I don’t bloody care if you’re an immortal two hearted alien from another planet you will listen to me and you will sit down and calm down” John shouted back, and Sherlock stopped, surprised, and flopped in his chair, drumming his fingers on the arms.  
“You can’t tell me what to do, John” he said quietly.  
“Sherlock. You may not remember it, but I sat with you for two months in rehab after you overdosed on drugs. You are my best friend, and I don’t care what you say, if I tell you to do something, you should take my advice and listen to me, because otherwise you’re going to get into even more trouble than you’re in now” John replied in an equally quiet voice. There was a pause as the Time Lord ran this through his incredible mind.  
“... I’m sorry, John, I didn’t mean to shout at you. I... I’m just stressed with this whole thing with Moriarty, and he’s out there... and I’m a bit scared”  
“Sherlock, it’s going to be fine” John assured him.  
“Hmm no John, I don’t think it will be. I get the feeling I’m going to die”  
“I’ll be with you, if it happens. And I’ll kill Moriarty myself” John said, and Sherlock laughed.  
“Thank you for that, John”

“Sherlock, what the hell is this all about? Why the bloody hell are you on that roof?” John demanded down the phone.  
“John, I need you to stay back. I’m going to die, John”  
“Sherlock...” John started towards the hospital again. Sherlock had warned him about this.  
“No! You must stay back! I will be fine! Just stay back” Sherlock half shouted down the phone.  
“Sherlock, don’t you bloody dare jump. You bastard don’t you dare...” John trailed off at the sound of Sherlock laughing on the other end of the line.  
“Oh, John. I don’t know what I’d do without you. But I must do this”  
“Why?”  
“Moriarty needs me to die. I must die, John”  
“I told you, you idiot. I told you he would do this...”  
“Moriarty’s dead, he just shot himself. I will be fine, John. Keep people away from me when I hit the ground. Can you do that for me?”  
“What yes of course... I don’t see how that will help...”  
“It will help, trust me. I only want you beside me when I land, okay? And you must do as I say”  
“Alright, Sherlock, I promise, I’ll do what you say”  
“Goodbye John” Sherlock said, and the line went dead. John pulled the phone away from his ear and watched the man he was supposed to protect, his best friend the Time Lord fall from the roof, coat flapping in the breeze. He shouted Sherlock’s name, and heard the dull thud as his friend struck the concrete. He sprinted towards the figure, and turned him onto his front, staring in shock. Sherlock was still alive, but only just. He smiled up at John faintly.  
“John...”  
“Shhh, I’ll get you in the hospital, it will be fine” John promised, and was about to shout out for help when Sherlock grabbed his arm.  
“No... time... step back...” he gasped as his body began to glow. John moved back, staring in shock.  
“What the...Sherlock...” he trailed off as Sherlock sighed.  
“I’m regenerating, John. I’m cheating death... I might change, I don’t know. If I change, I might forget who you are. I don’t want that. And since I never had the chance to say it before, John, I love you”  
Sherlock’s eyes closed, and his body seemed to burst into flames, the light and energy throwing John backwards as the Time Lord regenerated...


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These last two chapters were from the original version (originally the story beginning)

“John? John, can you hear me?” a familiar voice asked anxiously. There was pressure on his fingers, and then the voice speaking to someone else. “I think he was too close... he might have absorbed some of the energy... will it hurt him?”  
“No, it won’t hurt him. Although you were an idiot for jumping in the first place”  
“I had no choice! It was either that, or a sniper shot John in the head!”  
“And how do you know that the sniper didn’t see you when you hit the ground?”  
“The building was in the way. I was careful. The only person who saw was John”  
“As long as you’re sure. It seems John was blasted back away from you, may have absorbed some of the energy and hit his head... hence the unconsciousness”  
“I hope I haven’t killed him”  
“He’ll be fine, I’m sure. He knew it was a hazard of the job”  
“Guarding an obnoxious git like me, you mean?”  
“Yes, quite. Stay with him. He needs you” there were footsteps walking away, and John felt pressure on his fingers again, followed by the first voice.  
“John? If you can hear me, squeeze my hand, move, do something. Wake up and yell at me for being an idiot. Just show me you’re alive” the voice wobbled and became a strangled gasp at the end, and John’s eyes fluttered open to see the familiar figure of his best friend, hunched over beside him, his head in his hands. John was amazed, as the last time he remembered seeing his friend, he had fallen from the roof and was glowing bright gold.  
“You... are an... idiot” John whispered, and Sherlock’s head snapped up, and he cried with relief to see John awake.  
“Oh, John, thank goodness, I thought I’d killed you, I’m so sorry” he babbled as John pulled himself into an upright position, realising he was in a private hospital room.  
“I’m fine... what exactly...” he trailed off, and Sherlock sighed, glancing up to make sure the door was shut.  
“Moriarty had a sniper aiming at you, who would shoot if I didn’t jump. I realised that I could force Moriarty to recall the sniper, so he shot himself, leaving me with no choice but to jump. I wasn’t completely certain my plan would work. Luckily it did”  
“Your plan?”  
“Yes. I died, John, when I hit the pavement”  
“Then who am I talking to? A ghost?” John asked, confused, and Sherlock laughed.  
“No, you dimbo. Time Lords have this trick where we can cheat death... when we’re dying, or close to death, we do this thing called regeneration. Our bodies sort of heal themselves, and we’re as good as new. Depending on the cause of death, we sometimes change our faces. When that happens, we often forget what our previous face saw. That’s why I forced myself to keep the same face. I didn’t want to lose my memories of you, John”  
“So... you’re alright now?” John asked, concerned as always for his friend.  
“Yep, good as new. Still the same person you knew before. Although I am worried about you. Normally people can’t be too close when a Time Lord regenerates, because it can affect them. You got blasted back by the power of it, and I think you hit your head, but by the time I woke up a few minutes later, you were unconscious. You may have taken some of my regenerative energies into you”  
“Is that bad?”  
“I don’t know. I’ve... that’s the first time I’ve ever regenerated...” Sherlock mumbled, looking at his shoes. John reached out and patted his shoulder.  
“Well, you’re alright. You’re safe”  
“Hmm... only eleven more regenerations... then I kick the bucket for good” Sherlock mused, running his fingers through his hair.  
“Well, don’t think about that now. I don’t want you regenerating again in a hurry, okay?”  
“Alright. You should get some rest”   
“I’m fine” John insisted, although his head was pounding and he was struggling to focus. Sherlock laughed, touched his fingers to his mouth and removed them glowing gold, and touched John’s forehead.  
“Hush now, John. Go to sleep” He whispered, his regenerative energy taking over and making John’s eyes droop.  
“Sherl....” he mumbled as he lost consciousness.  
“Hush, John, I’ll still be here when you wake...”

“Well, brother mine, you certainly managed to remain unattached. Holding Doctor Watson’s hand now, are we?”  
“Shut it, Mycroft. John is my friend”  
“It’s not going to work, Sherlock. You know you can’t lie to me”  
“Get out”  
“Touched a nerve, have I, brother dear?”  
“I said, GET OUT” Sherlock shouted, and John flinched.  
“Careful, brother. You’ve woken him up now” Mycroft said, turning and walking away. John opened his eyes with a groan.  
“Sherlock?” he murmured.  
“Right here, John, as promised. Sorry I woke you. Mycroft was being a pain as usual”  
“It’s... fine... I was already awake...” John mumbled as the door opened and a young doctor walked in.  
“All set, Doctor Watson. Your friend here can take you home now” he said, and Sherlock grinned.  
“Come on, John” he said, helping his bodyguard from the bed.  
“I can walk, Sherlock” John insisted, and Sherlock dropped his arm.  
“Sorry, yes, of course you can. Sorry”  
“Good to hear you say you’re actually sorry about something”

“So, John the wizard” Sherlock said, flopping in his chair whilst John collapsed opposite.  
“Yes, what?”  
“Show me some magic”  
“What, why?” John asked, surprised.  
“Because I want to see”  
“Yeah, but why?”  
“I need to clean up my data on you, sort out what’s real and what’s fake” Sherlock replied smoothly.  
“Data? What, like on a computer?”  
“My brain is my hard drive, John, I believe I’ve told you that before”  
“Fine. What do you want me to do?” John asked, pulling his wand from his pocket.   
“I don’t know, some... magic-y stuff” Sherlock said waving his hands about absently.  
“Fine” John glanced around, before sending several of Sherlock’s possessions flying around the room. Sherlock smiled widely, his hand reaching out to touch one of his many books as it floated past his head.  
“Amazing... Never seen anything like it in my two hundred and sixty years”  
“Two hundred and sixty one. You’re two hundred and sixty one” John said quickly, earning a glare from the Time Lord.  
“I was rounding it down to make it easier to say. I didn’t forget my extra year spent as a human”  
“Wow... and I thought you were just being modest”  
Sherlock opened his mouth to reply when there was a loud crash from outside and the windows were blasted apart. Sherlock leapt forward and grabbed John, pushing him to the ground out of harms way.  
“John! Are you alright?” He demanded. John coughed.  
“I think so... are you alright?”  
“Better than ever, John, I’m perfectly fine, I promise” Sherlock replied, jumping up and tip-toeing through the broken glass to peer outside.  
“Hmm explosion across the road... need to get closer to determine what really happened” he murmured, turning and heading back towards John and pulling him unceremoniously to his feet.  
“Ouch!”   
“Sorry, John” Sherlock replied, distracted, pulling the slim pen like device from his pocket and flicking it through the air.  
“What is that thing?” John asked as they headed downstairs.   
“Sonic screwdriver. Gift from my dear cousin the Doctor about a year before Magnussen started chasing me. If I didn’t know better I would say that it was Magnussen who triggered the explosion, but since that’s impossible, let’s go and take a look”  
He was out the door and across the road in seconds, peering at the exploded building opposite. John hurried up behind him, and he sighed, a small smile spreading across his face.  
“I might have known I would find you, my dear” he breathed. John illuminated his wand as they headed further into the darkness towards what sounded like an enormous creature growling. In the corner was stood a wardrobe, and Sherlock reached out and touched it lightly, smiling.  
“Hello again, my old friend”  
“Sherlock? Why are you talking to an old wardrobe?” John asked, and Sherlock huffed quietly.  
“She is not any old wardrobe. She’s my TARDIS. It’s just a disguise. It’s not brilliant, really, but it does the trick”  
“I thought Mycroft had your TARDIS in a compound”  
“This was a compound. Clever of him to disguise it as the building opposite my home, I suppose. My girl wanted my attention. She caused the explosion, she’s clever like that” Sherlock murmured, stroking the case again. “You made a bit of a mess, my girl, but I suppose I did leave you for over a year. I’m sorry”  
“What now?” John asked as Sherlock dug through the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a key, inserting it into the lock. He smiled when the door clicked open, and pushed his way inside.  
“Come on, plenty of room” he called as he vanished inside. John pushed open the door, and his mouth fell open in wonder. They were in a huge cavernous space, a massive control room, and John stared around in awe, whilst Sherlock bounded eagerly up the steps towards the gleaming glass column in the centre, with a set of controls spread around it. John stepped up beside his friend, looking at all of the controls. He reached out to touch something, and Sherlock smacked his hand down.  
“No touching my girl”  
“Your girl?”  
“Yes, my girl. She’s my TARDIS, all mine, and you will be respectful”  
“Sorry”  
“Good” Sherlock muttered, gently running his hands over the console. The machine hummed loudly at the touch of its master, and he smiled widely at the column. “There, there now, my girl. Sherlock’s here, shhh, I have missed you, have you missed me? I bet you have, that’s why you decided to blow up a building”   
“ Are you talking to it... her?”  
“Of course I am. She hears and understands every word. Don’t call her an ‘it’ again. That’s disrespectful”  
“Alright, sorry” John muttered.  
“Now, were shall we go? Fancy seeing the stars, John?”  
“You don’t even know the Earth goes around the sun. How can you know everything about the universe?” John asked.  
“Ahh, but that was when I was human I forgot everything, remember?” Sherlock replied, fiddling with the controls. He pulled down on a lever, and the column moved up and down, and John stared in awe whilst Sherlock grinned. He grabbed John’s arm and dragged him to the door. He stopped before opening the door.  
“Now, you must not step outside these doors, understand? The atmospheric shell will protect us whilst we stay inside” he said, and John nodded as he flung the doors open, grinning at what he saw outside. John stood on tip toe and tried to peer over his shoulder.  
“Hey, not everyone’s a tall gangly Time Lord” he protested, and Sherlock stepped back, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and flicking it up into the air before catching it easily. It was an old habit he had had for years, since he’d received the screwdriver as a gift. He sighed and pushed it back into his pocket.  
“We... we’re in space” John whispered, and Sherlock laughed.  
“Yep. Told you, my TARDIS is a time and space machine. Just thought that showing you this would put things into perspective for you”  
“Wow...” John whispered, and Sherlock smirked, leaning against the doorframe beside his best friend. He glanced at his watch, the watch he had worn since he fled Gallifrey all those years ago, the one that automatically reset itself whenever he landed in a different time.   
“Unfortunately, we must return home, because Mycroft will surely have noticed that we have left” he said, leaning across to shut the doors. John looked at him with a sigh.  
“But we can come back, right? Go travelling and stuff”  
“Of course, John. This was just the beginning” he said, hurrying back to the console and flipping the switches whilst John moved to stand beside him, watching.  
“Don’t touch anything, John, you don’t know what any of it does and if you tamper with my settings I will not be happy” Sherlock warned as he darted around the console.  
“And I’ll turn you into a bat”  
“No you won’t. Mycroft once changed the music settings when we were on the run and it took me a whole month to sort it out. I did not want to be listening to bloody Taylor Swift all the time, I have no idea why he liked it so much. Awful drivel, it is” Sherlock muttered. The screen flickered into life, and his head snapped up. “John! I told you NOT to touch anything!” he shouted, whipping around the side of the console.  
“I honestly did not touch anything” John said, his hands raised in surrender. Sherlock muttered something in an alien language under his breath that sounded rude, fiddling with the controls and trying to get the screen to switch off again. John watched the screen continue to flicker, and an image slowly began to appear, a familiar face grinning at him.  
“Sherlock”  
“What is it now, John? I’m trying to sort the bloody screen out!”  
“Sherlock, you need to see this” John said, just as the man’s image on the screen spoke.  
“Did you miss me?”  
Sherlock’s head snapped up, and he darted around and grabbed the screen.  
“Impossible...” he whispered.  
“Did you miss me? Did you miss me? Did you miss me?”  
Sherlock stood straight and flicked his hair out of his eyes.  
“Well, John, looks like we definitely need to get back home” he said, flipping another switch, grinning widely, the man’s voice taunting them as they landed back at Baker Street.  
“Did you miss me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end!  
> Thanks for sticking with this!  
> I may continue to write a sequel at some point, so stay tuned, the idea of a sequel hasn't been completely abandoned  
> Thanks again for all the subscriptions/kudos - keep them coming!

**Author's Note:**

> This was here before under the same title but I've completely rewritten it because I wasn't happy... but parts are the same. Apologies the first chapter is so short as well. Enjoy :)


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